• Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine by Russia, on February 24, more than six million Ukrainians have fled their country, 85,000 refugees have arrived in France.

  • In total, more than 17,677 students have been educated in French establishments and it is the Nice academy which welcomes the most with 1,515 students.

  • 20 Minutes

    went to see how the lessons of Ukrainian students were going in a college in Nice.

"We say a baker and a...?"

asks Professor Jafari.

In front of him, a dozen Ukrainian students, aged 12 to 16 "who are from 6th to 4th French", he specifies.

Since the start of the war, the Roland-Garros college in Nice has welcomed 27 Ukrainian children and has created an additional teaching unit for incoming allophone students (UPE2A) especially for them.

For Yanis, 12, this feminine/masculine story is “difficult”.

“You have to memorize.

In Ukrainian, it's not as complicated, ”he says.

Despite everything, "he is a very good student", notes his teacher.

Just like Angelina and Kateryna, who quickly became friends and who are “very studious”.

Yanis specifies that he also has “buddies” in his other class.

Reach level B1 in one year

“They really started from scratch. They had never had French lessons.

In addition, it is not the same alphabet or the same learning methodology, underlines the professor.

We made an introduction to the language, we also speak of the French system and then I work to measure.

They start with 18 hours of French per week and the rest of the time, they follow the other subjects with their classic class.

»

The objective is to reach level B1 after one year.

“At first, it was complicated because they weren't motivated,” continues the teacher.

They were waiting for the war to end.

Gradually they got used to it.

Sometimes they tell me, through texts during exercises, stories about their life in Ukraine.

This is the only moment in the course where we possibly talk about the war.

»

A culture of integration

In this establishment of 650 students, where more than 50 different nationalities are already educated, the rule is to consider Ukrainian children "like ordinary students" and not to "put labels" so that they feel "the best possible ".

"We want to allow them to have a life like other children their age have," said the principal of the college, Sandrine Courty.

She specifies that a social worker and a nurse as well as a monitoring unit, which already existed, are available for pupils who have experienced traumatic events.

“The entire teaching team has a translator on the phone to better communicate with them,” she continues.

A 6th grade class even organized a collection of donations and made signs in Ukrainian in the college so that they could find their bearings.

We have this culture of integration at Roland-Garros.

It remains to be seen whether some will leave or not.

A question that everyone asks.

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The academy that hosts the most

Since February 24, six million Ukrainians have fled their country and 85,000 have arrived in France, mostly women and children.

In total, more than 17,677 students have been educated in French establishments, according to information from the Ministry of National Education published on May 27.

The Nice academy is the one that receives the most Ukrainians with 1,515 children, followed by those of Versailles and Grenoble.

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